The Inhibitory Effect of KerraTM, KSTM, and MinozaTM on Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Cancer

Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer is one of the most common types of frequently found cancers in Thailand. One of the causative agents is the infection of the high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and 18. Traditional medicines are rich sources of bioactive compounds which are a valuable source for the development of novel cancer therapies. In this study, the therapeutic effects of 3 traditional medicines, KerraTM, KSTM, and MinozaTM, were studied on HeLa and CaSki cells. Materials and Methods: The effects of KerraTM, KSTM, and MinozaTM on cancer cells were evaluated through cytotoxicity and cell death assays. The infection assay using HPV-16 pseudovirus was also carried out. Results: All traditional medicines efficiently suppressed cell growths of HeLa and CaSki, with KerraTM being the most potent anticancer agent followed by KSTM and MinozaTM. KerraTM at 158 µg/mL and 261 µg/mL significantly increases the percentage inhibition of the HPV-16 pseudovirus infection in a pre-attachment step in a dose-dependent manner, while KSTM at 261 µg/mL efficiently inhibited viral infection in both pre-attachment and adsorption steps. However, KerraTM, KSTM, and MinozaTM at subtoxic concentrations could not reduce the viral E6 mRNA expressions of HPV-16 and HPV-18. Cell death assay by acridine orange/ethidium bromide showed that KerraTM increased population of dead cells in dose-dependent manner in both CaSki and HeLa. The percentage of secondary necrosis in KerraTM-treated CaSki was higher than that of HeLa cells, while the percentage of late apoptotic cells in HeLa was higher than that of CaSki, indicating that HeLa was more susceptible to KerraTM than CaSki. For KSTM and MinozaTM, these extracts at 250 µg/mL promoted autophagy over cell death. At 500 µg/mL, the percentage of dead cells in KerraTM was higher than that of KSTM and MinozaTM. Conclusions: KerraTM is a potent traditional medicine for promoting cancer cell death. KerraTM is possibly useful in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer. Further investigation will be carried out to gain a better understanding of the biochemical mechanism and the pharmacological activity underlying this effect.

Exploring the Apoptotic-Induced Biochemical Mechanism of Traditional Thai Herb (Kerra™) Extract in HCT116 Cells Using a Label-Free Proteomics Approach

Background and Objectives: Natural products have proven to be a valuable source for the discovery of new candidate drugs for cancer treatment. This study aims to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of "Kerra™", a natural extract derived from a mixture of nine medicinal plants mentioned in the ancient Thai scripture named the Takxila Scripture, on HCT116 cells. Materials and Methods: In this study, the effect of the Kerra™ extract on cancer cells was assessed through cell viability assays. Apoptotic activity was evaluated by examining the apoptosis characteristic features. A proteomics analysis was conducted to identify proteins and pathways associated with the extract's mechanism of action. The expression levels of apoptotic protein markers were measured to validate the extract's efficacy. Results: The Kerra™ extract demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the cells, with higher concentrations leading to decreased cell viability. Treatment with the extract for 72 h induced characteristic features of early and late apoptosis, as well as cell death. An LC-MS/MS analysis identified a total of 3406 proteins. The pathway analysis revealed that the Kerra™ extract stimulated apoptosis and cell death in colorectal cancer cell lines and suppressed cell proliferation in adenocarcinoma cell lines through the EIF2 signaling pathway. Upstream regulatory proteins, including cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A) and MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor (MYC), were identified. The expressions of caspase-8 and caspase-9 were significantly elevated by the Kerra™ extract compared to the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin (Dox). Conclusions: These findings provide strong evidence for the ability of the Kerra™ extract to induce apoptosis in HCT116 colon cancer cells. The extract's efficacy was demonstrated by its dose-dependent inhibitory effect, induction of apoptotic activity, and modulation of key proteins involved in cell death and proliferation pathways. This study highlights the potential of Kerra™ as a promising therapeutic agent in cancer treatment.